Borussia Dortmund have always been known for their ability to identify talented youngsters and introduce them to European football. So far it seems that they have found their next target with the club interested in the services of Brazilian midfielder Gerson. Globo Esporte (as cited by Marca) is reporting that Chelsea are also eyeing the talented player who is currently plying his trade in his home country.
Gerson’s unproductive stint in Europe
The 23-year-old is not unknown to European football with AS Roma bringing him to Italy back in 2016. His stint for the Serie A side was not successful though, as he only made 28 appearances in the league scoring twice in two seasons. The main difficulty for Roma was that they failed to identify the exact position of the youngster.
When brought to Italy, he was thought to be an attacker, and the club regularly fielded him on the front line. That did not have the desired results as he was made to play out of position and eventually came down the pecking order behind Salah and Gervinho.
Being dissatisfied with his underperformance, the club loaned Gerson to Fiorentina in 2018, and he spent one season at his new outfit. Although the team changed, the problem remained the same with his new side also pushing him into the final third of the opposition. He played in 36 league matches for the club, eventually scoring thrice. With time both Gerson and Roma became disillusioned with each other, and ultimately he was sent back to his native country to play for Flamengo.
His change in fortunes
At his new club, finally, manager Jorge Jesus realised the fundamental difficulty with the player and shifted him into his preferred midfield role, thereby drastically improving his display. This season Gerson has shown that he can dictate terms in the midfield for his side and can distribute the ball among his teammates brilliantly from the centre of the pitch.
Like any Brazilian, he also shows a certain flair in his game and has the capability of breaking down the opposition defence with an incisive pass. The German side have clearly recognised this talent and the long term prospect of the player.
His role at the club
At this moment Dortmund have Can and Delaney in the side to man the central midfield while Dahoud has been left on the bench due to an injury. Favre could integrate the Brazilian in the team from the next season onwards starting from the cup matches and then make a decision based upon his performances. Unlike someone like Can, Gerson can join the side in the attack, and this quality could prove extremely vital against teams that like to sit back and defend.
As of now, this deal could prove very important for both the parties as the club could get a talented youngster at a bargain price, while the player could also be given a second chance to prove his mettle in Europe.
